Five things you should know about the Battle of Soledar, a name meaning “gift of salt” in both Ukrainian and Russian
The Battle of Soledar is one of the bloodiest since the war began. Moscow uses all its strength to regain victory after several setbacks. Agence France-Presse takes stock of this confrontation, which has doubled in recent days:
Soledar is in the Donetsk region, which Moscow says is set to be annexed, about 15 kilometers northeast of Bakhmout, a larger city that has been in Russia’s sights for several months. Before the conflict, Soledar was just a small town of about 10,000 people, mainly known for its salt mines, the largest in Europe. They are criss-crossed by 200 kilometers of underground galleries that can present several tactical advantages in times of war.
- “Bloody” battle
Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhaïlo Podoliak told Agence France-Presse on Wednesday January 11 that “everything that happens today around Bakhmout or Soledar is the bloodiest scenario of this war”.
“Lots of blood, lots of artillery duels, lots of melee combat, especially in Soledar. »
Even the Kremlin, normally silent on military casualties, admitted that the Russians had paid a “rather high price” to advance into Soledar.
The attack on Soledar is being led “exclusively” by Wagner’s mercenaries, according to Evgueni Prigojine, the paramilitary group’s president. Analysts suspect the latter of wanting to strengthen his political standing in Russia through military successes in Ukraine. Mr. Prigozhin has been touring Russian prisons in recent months to recruit detainees on promises of high salaries and an amnesty after some time of struggle.
For military analyst Anatoly Khramtchikhin, Wagner’s role in Ukraine is “quite extensive” and the group has “a number of important advantages” over the regular Russian army: “Better training and at the same time fewer formalities [administratives] and bureaucracy”.
Beyond the military aspects, the battles over Soledar and Bakhmout have also brought to light the rivalry that many analysts believe exists between Wagner and the regular Russian army. On Wednesday, Mr Prigoyine revealed his group controls Soledar before being denied by the Russian Defense Ministry as fighting continued. Even the Kremlin has called not to “hurry” to announce victory.
For Mr Khramchikhine, given the size of the forces and assets at the paramilitary group’s disposal, it is “obvious” that Wagner and the Defense Ministry are in competition in Ukraine.
However, Vassily Kashin, another analyst, recalls that despite their rivalry, the two camps are “cooperating”. “You can’t do things independently, they’re part of the same force,” he says.
With analysts discussing Soledar’s strategic importance, there is no doubt that the Russian authorities will seize the opportunity to claim an important victory after spectacular setbacks.
Russian forces have been desperately trying to take Bakhmout for months, sending waves of soldiers against the wall of Ukraine’s defenses and constantly shelling the town with artillery.
“Every win is important, especially because there hasn’t been a win for a long time,” Khramchikhin told Soledar. “Strategically, it could make things easier for Bakhmout,” he adds.